Pochettino claims emerging Tottenham star is special but wild

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed he is thrilled with the progress of Dele Alli.

The Argentinian boss signed the midfielder in 2015 from MK Dons and he is now a crucial part of the Spurs squad.

Alli, 20, has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past couple of seasons and is now a regular for both club and country.

The England international made a positive impact against Malta during the international break, scoring in the 2-0 World Cup qualifier victory.

Pochettino claims that Alli has started to develop nicely but he would never trade the “wild” side of his game.

“It is like when you have a wild horse, and you need to put it in a box and domesticate it,” Pochettino said, as quoted by the Evening Standard. “He is a big talent but he was a bit wild. He is a special guy, a very emotional person and I think we all love him.

“Now he is more domesticated. But you can never lose that wild side. It is all a process with the younger players to be more mature. We want them to gain experience and focus on playing football.”

He added: “But there is nothing to worry about with Dele. I am more than happy with him, the effort he makes in every game. He plays a lot and he brings many positive things to the team.”

Alli has started the season in good form and scored three goals in his first 11 appearances.

His positive start to the season has coincided with Spurs beginning the campaign well, with the club currently boasting the only unbeaten record in the Premier League.

Alli won the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season and has been tipped to be the future of English football.

Alan Shearer recently praised the youngster and claimed he could even reach the levels of Frank Lampard, who is the Premier League’s highest ever goal scoring midfielder.